Sport Aberdeen boss dismissed after failing to accept demotion

Sport Aberdeen said its chief executive was dismissed after he failed to accept a demotion, following an independent investigation into his conduct.

The allegations which led to Keith Heslop losing his job were made public for the first time during an employment tribunal hearing.

Heslop was replaced on an interim basis last November and formally dismissed last month but the charity did not reveal why.

He claims his suspension was unlawful, his dismissal was unfair and he is seeking to be compensated and reinstated as CEO at the charity.

Sport Aberdeen - which operates more than 30 leisure and sports venues - receives millions of pounds of public funding from Aberdeen City Council each year.

The hearing was told of three allegations against Heslop.

In documents submitted to the tribunal, seen by BBC Scotland News, Heslop questioned the independence of the investigating officer, given she was a former colleague of Sport Aberdeen chairman, Tony Dawson.

The first allegation was that Heslop failed to follow Sport Aberdeen's disciplinary process over an employee accused of racist and homophobic language.

This was found to have constituted serious misconduct.

The second allegation - which was partially upheld - was that he failed to comply with requirements to declare gifts, hospitality and conflicts of interest.

A third allegation, that he displayed inappropriate behaviour at a work-related Christmas night out in December 2024, was not upheld

The independent investigator recommended that Heslop be demoted from his role as chief executive officer, receive a final written warning and extra training.

But the decision was taken to dismiss Heslop after he refused to accept the demotion.

Heslop's legal representative, Michael Briggs, had questioned the timing of the investigation by Sport Aberdeen.

Heslop claimed he was dismissed because he raised questions about a £105,000 payment to outgoing managing director Alistair Robertson, which was not scrutinised by the board.

Sport Aberdeen said the payment was fully and transparently disclosed.

Briggs told the tribunal that Heslop was suspended in November last year, soon after he started asking questions about the payment to Robertson.

He said: "All the allegations were by this point somewhat historic ... there doesn't appear to be any plausible explanation for why the investigation was started at this particular time."

Sport Aberdeen's legal representative Colin McDevitt said Heslop's dismissal was not in response to him "blowing the whistle" and said the grievance and disciplinary procedures were considered by five independent people.

He added: "We have got independent people littered throughout this who make their decisions in an unadulterated, not leant upon, way with full autonomy to make whichever decision they wanted to make."

The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) said earlier this year there was concern about Sport Aberdeen, and it was then placed under formal investigation.

The employment judge will issue a decision in writing on whether to reinstate Heslop as chief executive officer at Sport Aberdeen, pending a full tribunal hearing.